Cover Story: Best Comic Book Covers of December 2013

Each month, hundreds of comics are released to stores for the hungry masses of fans around the world. To stand out on the shelves, you have to put the great art up front. You can judge a book by its cover.

Welcome back to our continuing monthly column, where the covers tell a story of their own. It’s the final Cover Story wrap-up for 2013, and there’s some amazing inclusions this time out. Mike Mignola had several covers on the shelf, but the one for Dark Horse Presents #31 was beautiful in its simplicity. Even the incomparable Alex Ross was inspired by some classic this month, signing his Doc Savage #1 (Dynamite) cover as “Ross After Steranko”, following on from the classic layouts of Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #4. Speaking of inspired, the James Bond influenced cover to The Illegitimates #1 (IDW) is just that, with Jerry Ordway portraying his sirens as heavily pregnant silhouettes. Jenny Frison gets two looks in this month, in a season when Fiona Staples and Amanda Conner turn in some of their best work. We’ve restricted Cover Story Cover Artist of the Year Francesco Francavilla to just one entry,just to be fair to the others. PLUS: it wouldn’t be December without a bit of sex and Christmas with Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss, right? This is Cover Story.